Five Years
by The Lonegun Chicky
Summary: After hating her for the entire time she was at Hogwarts, is Severus starting to have feelings for Hermione? Or has he felt that way all along? Rated T just to be safe. New chapter names!
1. Denial

Disclaimer: The characters of Hermione, Severus, McGonagall, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Voldemort, and Crookshanks belong to J.K. Rowling.

She left five years ago. Five years...For five years he has sat in his dreary dungeons thinking about her. For five years he's wished that he wasn't a greasy haired git; wished that she would come slay the demons that haunt his dreams, but his screams in the middle of the night still go unanswered. How he hoped that she would come back. He would give anything just to get a glimpse of that chestnut-colored hair or her luscious lips curled into a beautiful smile. But who was he kidding? Why would she come back to Hogwarts? Even if she did, why would she want to see the professor that she despised most?

He shakes his head, trying very hard to get her out of his mind. Maybe a midnight stroll would do. He could catch two unsuspecting Gryffindors snogging in a corner and give them a months worth of detention. Smirking to himself, he leaves the dungeons. After an hour of meandering the halls he finds himself outside Gryffindor tower.

"Severus, is everything all right?" Professor McGonagall asks as she steps out of the portrait hole.

"Ah...Yes, everything is as it should be," he responds back first surprised then angry for being caught day dreaming.

"Since when do you stand outside my house's common room, voluntarily? And at one in the morning?" she asks frowning at him. He just glares at her. "This isn't the first time I've seen you standing out here. Dare I say that this all started when Granger, Potter, and Weasley left?"

"You're treading on thin ice, Minerva," he growls.

"I learned long ago, Severus, not to pay attention to your threats." She smiles when he doesn't protest. "Do something about the situation you're in and do it soon. I don't want to catch you hanging around my house anymore." Again, he growls at her.

"Oh and when you finally tell Miss Granger how you feel, give her my best." She slips by him before he can respond and goes to do her nightly patrol of the halls. He sighs to himself and slowly walks back down to the dungeons.

She sat alone on her couch in her London flat holding a red pillow with gold trimming. She couldn't believe that she graduated from Hogwarts five years ago. It felt like decades ago. Hogwarts had felt like her home so much that she thought of herself as guest in her parent's home in Portsmouth when school was out for holiday brakes or the summer. It just made matters worse that her parents never wanted to try and understand the wizarding world. Instead, they thought it was easier to view her as an outcast like some wizards and witches did because she wasn't a pureblood. She was able to ignore the comments her rival housemates tossed her way except for one man's. And as hard as she tried, she couldn't get him out of her head.

"Earth to Hermione!" Harry says waving a hand in front of her face.

"Oh what?" she asks shaking her head. Harry looks at her concerned.

"Umm…since when has that pillow been green and silver?" he asks pointing to the pillow that she's been clutching. She looks down at it, sighs, then lifts her wand that's still in her hand and changes the pillow back to it's original colors. "You want to tell me what's going on?" he asks taking a seat next to her.

"No, not really."

"Why don't you just go talk to him?"

"Talk to who?" she asks surprised.

"Come on, Hermione. You've been doing things like this since we graduated from Hogwarts. Changing pillows, couches, dinner plates, and the carpet to silver and green.

Just go talk to him." He puts a hand on her shoulder and stands up.

"What? You're leaving? But you just got here," she whines.

"Ginny and Ron wanted me to check up on you on my way home from work. And judging from that silver and green pillow, I'd say that you'd rather be alone to think about how you're going to tell him that you've been in love with him for years." Hermione's jaw drops to the floor.

"Are we both on the same page as to who "He" is?" she asks, dreading the answer.

"You must be really in love with him if you'd think that Ron and I wouldn't notice the looks you'd give him while he was instructing the class on how to perfectly brew the polyjuice potion," Harry says smiling.

"That obvious, huh?" she sighs.

"Only to the people who know you best." He smiles again before kissing her on the cheek and disapparating. She looks to the spot where her friend stood only moments before.

"Maybe I should go tell him," she says to herself.

Please review and let me know what you think. I have a few more chapters written. If you want to read more, I'll post them.


	2. Expressing your feelings

Hermione knows that he probably is still awake, even at this hour, slips on her shoes and apparates to Hogsmeade. She quickly walks to Hogwarts and heads inside before she can change her mind. With a smile on her face, she heads to the dungeons.

Severus paces in his office pondering whether or not he should tell her how he feels. After awhile he decides against it and sits at his desk to mark papers. Just as he starts the first one, there's a knock on the door.

"Go away!" he shouts. He looks up when he hears the door open. "I said go…" he stops short when he sees who it is. "Miss Granger, what brings you back to Hogwarts?" he growls, trying to mask his emotions. She shuts the door and walks up to his desk.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," she says slowly.

"Well obviously," he says sarcastically.

"I…I really don't know where to start." He sighs heavily and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Just spit it out, girl. I don't have all night." Hermione lowers her head.

"It was a mistake to come here. You haven't changed and you never will, even if I tell you how I feel," she says turning around, heading towards the door. His face masks in confusion over the last thing she said.

"Miss Granger?" He asks standing up. She stops just short of the door, waiting for him to say something else. "You came here to talk to me. So talk." She turns around and looks him in the eye.

"Since the day I graduated from here, all I have been able to think about is you. Wondering every night what it would be like to have you lying beside me, holding me, kissing me; loving me. Dreaming about how it would feel to have your arms around me or your lips on the back of my neck. Hoping you could be there with me when I woke up screaming from the nightmares, ones that show you being murdered by Voldemort. I can't take not knowing if we can be together. So I came to tell you that….I love you, Severus." He stands there in complete shock at first, then glares at her.

"Get out. I am in no mood for this sick joke you are playing, Miss Granger. Get out now, and never come back, you insignificant little bushy haired know-it-all," he says coldly. It's her turn to look on in shock. Then tears begin to stream down her face and she flees the dungeons. She passes by McGonagall just outside the Slytherin common room as she races outside and back to Hogsmeade. Knowing that it would be impossible to catch up with her, McGonagall heads towards Snape's office to find out why Hermione came back to Hogwarts and why she left like she did. When she enters the office, she finds him sitting at his desk, nursing what looks to be a badly broken hand.

"Severus, what on earth happened to you? Why was Miss Granger here? And why was she running down the halls crying?" she demands.

"None of this is your concern, Minerva."

"None of my concern? A young woman from MY house that I haven't seen in five years shows up in the middle of the night to come see you and then leaves crying. Like hell this isn't any of my concern."

"She was sent here by Potter and Weasley to play a sick joke on me."

"I do not believe that, Severus. Try again. What did she come here to talk to you about?"

"I would rather not say." McGonagall glares at him.

"If you wont tell me, your hand will just have to heal the muggle way. I'll have Poppy refuse to treat you." He glares at her, but decides to tell her since he knows that she follows through with her threats.

"She said she loved me." McGonagall's faces lights up, but falls when she remembers how Hermione left.

"What did you do to her?"

"I told her to get out and never come back."

"You did what? After five years of you pining for her to come back and confess her love for you, when she finally does, you send her away? That is simply the most idiotic thing you have ever done."

"I know….that's why I have a broken hand," he says quietly.

"What are you waiting for? Go after her! Tell her how you feel! Beg her to forgive you! Tell her you're sorry for all the things you have ever done to her, let her know-"

"You know, Minerva, cats have nine lives. I'd hate for you to loose one," he says icily. Minerva stares at him for a moment, then walks out of the dungeons. He sighs heavily and lowers his head in defeat.

Hermione collapses on her bed, her vision blurred from all her tears. Crookshanks goes to cuddle with her. She gently strokes the ginger colored cat, hoping to calm the racking sobs that control her body. After awhile her tears finally stop and she falls into a restless sleep.

Severus woke up the next morning at his desk with a very stiff neck and both his head and hand throbbing. He passed out from the whole bottle of fire whiskey he had drank trying to curb his sadness and the pain from his broken hand. He stands up and somehow makes it to the hospital wing where he receives a severe tongue lashing from Poppy for acting irresponsible as she treats him. He doesn't say a word to her when she's finished and leaves to go take a walk.


	3. Confrontation

Thank you for the wonderful reviews! I'm glad you love the story so far. And as a special treat, I'm posting 2 chapters! Enjoy!

"Hermione…Hermione," Ginny says as she tries to wake her. Hermione mumbles something and rolls over. "Hermione, you have to get out of bed."

"No, I don't. I just want to stay in bed forever," she says opening her eyes a little.

"No, now get up. I'm not going to let you sulk over that greasy over-grown bat." Hermione glares at her.

"He's not a greasy over-grown bat."

"Then what would you call him? I know what happened last night." Hermione looks at her blankly. "Professor McGonagall owled me this morning. She told me what happened and asked me to look in on you."

"How does she know what happened? I don't even remember seeing her last night."

"She said that Snape told her after you ran past her crying." Hermione hides her face in her pillow. "Come on Hermione. I'm taking you out today."

"But I don't want to go," she protests.

After a few more minutes of arguing, the girls apparate to Hogsmeade with Hermione not happy in the least. Ginny drags her into ten different stores trying to find the perfect dress to buy for her anniversary dinner with Harry that's a few weeks away. Hermione finally convinces her to stop looking for awhile so they can get something to eat at the Hogshead. Just as their food arrives, Hermione feels a pair of eyes staring at her from somewhere behind her. She turns around to find Severus glaring at her. She looks away and lowers her head.

"I'll be right back," Ginny says and walks over to Snape. She slaps him hard across the face. Everyone around stops what they are doing to look on at the scene that is unraveling in front of them. "I can't believe what you said to her. You are such a selfish greasy haired git." She ends her sentence with another smack across his cheek. Snape just stands there with no hint of emotion and stays quiet. "She pours her heart out to you, and what do you do? You break it into a million pieces. Do you not have any sort of compassion? If you never felt the same way about her, you could have at least said so instead of treating her like she's some stupid student trying to pull a prank on you!" She hits him for the third time.

"Miss Weasley, I have had enough of your childish display this afternoon." He walks out of the Hogshead with not even a glare at the on lookers that stare at him with their mouths agape. When Ginny turns around to go back to Hermione, she notices that she's gone. Ginny sighs, goes to pay the bill, and heads back to home to Harry knowing that even if she goes looking for her friend she won't find her.

Hermione snuck out of the Hogshead before Ginny slapped Severus for the second time and made her way to Hogwarts. She headed up the familiar stair case to the seventh floor corridor and stood in front of the Fat Lady.

"Miss Granger, you have returned!" the Fat Lady says. "What brings you here?"

"I wished to speak with Professor McGonagall."

"About your troubles in love?"

"What have you heard?" Hermione says giving her a questioning look.

"Oh, just the portraits talking amongst themselves. About this and that."

"That's quite enough," Professor McGonagall says scolding the Fat Lady as she comes up behind Hermione. The Fat Lady puts her hands on her hips then turns her back on the former student and her professor. "Hermione, dear, come with me to my office."

Hermione follows her and takes a seat in one of the chairs as McGonagall takes the other.

"How are you doing, dear?" she asks her former student.

"As well as one could be after professing their love to someone and being rejected. And it doesn't make me feel any better knowing that all the portraits in the castle know about it."

"I know, dear. The portraits really need to learn to keep their mouths shut."

Hermione nods her head in agreement. "But you mustn't hold Severus' reaction against him. You know as well as I do that women aren't throwing themselves at him."

"True, but guys aren't exactly throwing themselves at me either."

"Hermione, you need remember that he's not used to having anyone care about him, let alone love him."

"So, you condone what he did to me?"

"No, of course not, dear. I think what he did was the most idiotic thing that he has ever done in his life and I told him so last night. What I'm trying to say is that you should try again with him."

"Why? I'm just going to get my heart stepped on some more."

"You maybe surprised to find out that you won't." Hermione sits their puzzled, then it dawns on her.

"Are you saying that he-" she stops short.

"Yes, Hermione." She smiles, then jumps up to hug her former professor, and runs out of the office in search of Severus.


	4. Reminiscence

Severus makes his way to the edge of town all the while thinking about what Ginny Weasley just said to him. He begins to question if what Hermione said to him the night before was really a joke or not.

"But how could she love me when I've hurt and humiliated her so many times?" he asks himself. He begins to think back to two weeks before her graduation. The day of the final battle.

__

Voldemort stood on the steps of Hogwarts in front of Severus and Hermione holding both of their wands as well as his own at a bruised, bloody, and unconscious Harry.

"So how does it feel being powerless to save the boy's life who you swore you would protect, Severus?" He stayed silent, trying to figure out a way to get his wand back. "Oh, and young sweet Miss Granger," Voldemort said with pure sarcasm. "You will watch your friend die. And after that, I plan on having a little fun with you before I turn you over to my death eaters," he laughs evilly.

Severus saw Hermione visibly shake at the dark lord's words.

"Ah, but back to you, Severus. I'll take great pleasure in watching you die. A little torture at first, then a slow painful death," Voldemort said smirking. "Severus, you get to choose who dies first. Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, or yourself?" He looked from Harry to Hermione then back up at Voldemort but did not say a word. "Having troubles deciding? Maybe this will help you make up your mind. Crucio!"

Severus twisted and turned in pain as the curse hit him. He had been put under the curse many times before, but never was it this painful. He couldn't help but scream out when he felt like he was being burned alive. After what seemed like an eternity, the curse was lifted and Severus fell to the ground, half conscious. He could see Hermione looking at him with tears streaming down her face.

"Who have you chosen to die first?"

"Myself," he says just barely above a whisper.

"Taking the easy way out, Severus? You are such a coward." Voldemort tosses the cruciatus curse at him again. "Well, Severus, who are you going to choose?"

"I…told you…me."

Voldemort repeated the curse again, but Severus didn't feel it's effects. He picked up his head and saw Hermione lying on the ground twitching in pain. She must have jumped in front of him. Her screams were enough to get him on his feet and charging towards the dark lord. Before Voldemort had time to react, Severus hit him square in the jaw, causing both him and Harry to fall to the ground. Severus picked up his wand that Voldemort dropped as he hit the stone steps and pointed it at him. Just as Severus was about to say Avada Kedavra, he heard someone else say it first. He was thrown to the ground by the thunderous force of green light that shot from a wand behind him. He looked over towards the now motionless body of Voldemort then up at the wizard who killed him.

"Mr. Weasley…" Severus stated shocked. Ron looked down at his professor then offered him a hand up. He took it since he didn't think that he could make it up on his own. Together, they levitated Harry and Hermione to the hospital wing.

"Mr. Weasley, as much as I know you want to fight the rest of the death eaters, you need to stay somewhere safe. You will die if you go back out there."

"I know professor. I will stay here with Hermione and Harry."

"You know, Mr. Weasley, I think that is the first mature thing that I have ever heard you say."

"Thank you for all you have done, Professor Snape," Ron said as he extended his hand for him to shake.

"Same to you, Mr. Weasley," Severus stated as he shook it. He was just about to turn around and walk out the door when Poppy stopped him.

"Severus Snape, where do you think you're going? You're bleeding badly and your arm looks broken!" For the first time, Severus noticed his own injuries.

"I guess you're staying here with us," Ron said with a smile.

"It would seem so."

After letting Poppy treat him, he fell asleep from pure exhaustion. He woke up the next morning to find Hermione staring at him.

"Miss Granger, I'm not going to do a trick. You can look away." Hermione started laughing. "What seems to be so funny?"

"You."  


"That was uncalled for."

"No, no, I meant that you actually told a joke." Severus just looked at her with an eyebrow raised. Her laughter subsided a few minutes later. "How are you feeling, Professor?"

"All right." She reached over and hugged him tightly. "Miss Granger, remove yourself from me. Now."

"I'm sorry, Professor. I'm just relieved that you're ok." Again, he raised an eyebrow. "I couldn't stand seeing Voldemort torture you. I felt helpless while you were lying there in pain, so I did the only thing I could. I jumped in front of you."

"Your stupid Gryffindor courage kicked in," he responded evenly. Hermione ignored his comment.

"I have a question though. I know Voldemort was killed, but I don't know how it happened." Severus sighed inwardly.

"I saw that Voldemort was distracted by you having under the cruciatus curse, got up, and punched him. When he went down, he dropped my wand. I picked it up and was about to say the killing curse, but Mr. Weasley beat me to it."

"Ron took down the dark lord?"

"Yes, he did." Hermione stayed quiet for awhile then leaned over and kissed Severus on the cheek before getting up and walking out of the hospital wing.


	5. Second Chances

I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I just got done reading the 6th book and can't wait until the 7th comes out. Now onward with the story.

Back in the present, Severus puts a hand where her lips touched his cheek so many years before.

"I've been such a fool," he says out loud.

"Yes, you have Severus," a soft voice says from behind him. He knows that voice and spins around to face her.

"Miss Granger…" he trails off. Hermione stands there waiting for him to finish his sentence. When he doesn't, she begins to doubt what Professor McGonagall told her and turns to leave.

"Don't give up on me…" he whispers. She stops, but doesn't turn back around.

"Tell me why I shouldn't," she responds softly. He stumbles over in his mind what he wants to tell her, but can't come up with anything. "Goodbye, Severus."

"Hermione," he says pleading. She turns to him with tears in her eyes. "This is all new to me. I need for you to be patient." He walks towards her and gently wipes away her tears. "Hermione…," again, he can't finish his sentence.

"Come back to my flat with me. We can talk there," she whispers softly as she puts a hand on his cheek. He nods his head and she apparates them to the middle of her living room. "Would you like something to drink?" she asks him.

"Yes." She gives him a smile before heading off to the kitchen. While Severus waits for her to return, he looks around the room. He spots her Hogwarts diploma hanging proudly on one of the walls, along with a picture of her, Harry, and Ron in their dress robes after graduation. Upon further examination of the picture, he discovers that he is standing in the background.

"Here you go," Hermione says coming into the room with their drinks. He takes it with a polite nod of thanks and gulps more than half of it down. She looks at him surprised. He nervously clears his throat.

"I couldn't help but notice that I'm standing in the background of that picture," he says gesturing towards it with his glass.

"I had Ginny take two that day. When I noticed that you were in one, I decided that that was the one I wanted to put up." He doesn't say anything and continues to look at the picture. She gently touches his shoulder to get his attention. "I'm sorry for what Ginny did to you today at the Hogshead."

"Miss…Hermione, what she did was well deserved on my part. My actions towards you last night were ones of stupidity. I sunk down to the maturity level of a dunderheaded first year. For that, I apologize. I am truly sorry that my stupid, foolish pride has blinded me into believing that your feelings for me are untrue. I know now that I have been wrong for years."

"Wow, I never thought I'd hear you say you were sorry," she says smiling.

"Smart ass," he retorts back as he snakes his arms around her waist. She drapes her arms over his shoulders as she laughs. "I don't want to waste anymore time," he says as brushes a stray hair away from her eyes.

"Then let's not." For the first time in decades, Severus smiles a true genuine smile. She smiles back as he leans in for their first kiss. His lips touch hers softly at first, then with more confidence he deepens the kiss.

"I love you," he whispers before kissing her again.

"I love you, too," she says pulling back slightly to look him in the eyes. He smiles once again as she takes his hand and leads him towards her bedroom.

Hermione wakes up the next morning to Severus gently running his fingertips across her stomach.

"Mmmm, that feels good," she with a smile on her face. He smiles before his lips take the same path as his fingers.

Outside, Ginny knocks on Hermione's door, hoping to apologize for her behavior the day before. She becomes worried when her friend doesn't answer. "I know she's home. She loves to sleep in on Saturdays," she says to herself. She shrugs her shoulders and decides to apparate into Hermione's living room. She starts heading for her friend's bedroom when she hears her scream.

"Hermione, are you ok?" Ginny asks as she barrels through the door. Her jaw drops to the floor as she stops dead in her tracks when she sees her best friend and her former professor in a compromising position.

"Miss Weasley, if you breathe a word of this to anyone you'll find out that there are no accidents! Now stop staring and get out!" Severus shouts at her as he covers himself up with a sheet.

"Well, that was embarrassing," Hermione comments as Ginny quickly exits the room. Severus grunts and buries his face into a pillow. She kisses his shoulder gently before getting out of bed to get dressed and go talk to Ginny.

"Oh, gods, Hermione, I'm so sorry I walked in on you guys," Ginny apologizes.

"It's all right. Sev's a little embarrassed, but he'll get over it."

"Sev?" Ginny questions, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll fill you in later," Hermione smiles.

"You better," Ginny says hugging her friend goodbye. Hermione sighs and heads back to her lover.


	6. A Night of Surprises

9 months later

"Guys, what am I going to where?" Hermione asks as she hastily rummages through her closet.

"Calm down, Hermione. I'm sure what ever you wear, he'll think you're beautiful," Ginny consoles.

"I'm sure if you went naked, he wouldn't mind," Ron pipes up. Harry gabs him sharply in the ribs. "Well, he wouldn't." Hermione rolls her eyes at him.

"To my dearest Hermione, I request you be dressed appropriately for a special night when I arrive at 7 pm this evening and not one moment later. With love, Severus," Ginny reads from the letter that arrived only an hour before.

"I wonder where he's taking you," Harry states.

"Haven't I been asking that since I read the letter?" Hermione asks hysterically. She turns back around to her closet. "I have absolutely nothing to wear!"

"Here, how about his?" Ginny questions as she transfigures an ordinary red blouse into a sleek looking black dress.

"Ahhh, Ginny, you're a genius!" Hermione takes the dress and shoos Ron and Harry from the room.

With only a few minutes to spare before 7, Hermione and Ginny immerge from the room. Harry and Ron, having been deeply involved in a conversation about Quidditch, suddenly stop and look up at their friend. Hermione stands before them wearing her black dress; her brown hair having been put up with a few tight curls hanging down and a touch of blush and lipstick to accent her natural beauty.

"Wow…," is all Ron can say.

"You look great," comments Harry.

"Are you guys sure I look ok?" Hermione asks becoming nervous.

"You look perfect!" Ginny insists. Just as she is about to say something else to calm her friend down, the door bell rings. The gang says good-bye to Hermione, leaving her to answer the door. Severus, clad in a black suit, stands on the other side of the door fidgeting with his deep blue tie. He stops when he sees her and gives her a smile.

"You look absolutely stunning," he states.

"Thank you," she says as she gives him a gentle kiss. "Muggle attire?" she teases lightly.

"Let's just say that this is a night of surprises," he says with a smirk. Severus takes her hand and apparates then to the middle of Hogsmeade. He leads her down the less crowded side streets and to the edge of town.

"Severus, where are we going?" Hermione questions.

"You'll see," he responds back, pulling her a little closer to him. After a few more minutes of walking, they stop in front of a field.

"Severus, this is just a weed infested field."

"Is it?" he asks with a smile on his face. She raises an eyebrow at him, then looks back towards the field.

Instead of seeing the ugly over grown weeds she saw before, a beautiful courtyard materializes before her eyes. Stone pillars are positioned at each corner and have green vines with white flowers wrapped around them. The unmistakable sound of trickling water can be heard from the back of the courtyard as it flows across a small waterfall and into an oblong pond that is surrounded by a mound of moss and spring flowers. Soft music catches her ears as she studies the table that sits in the middle. A white pillar candle is placed in front of each dinner plate and a beautiful red rose stands in the center. Hermione looks over at him with a smile on her face. He smiles back and gives her his arm to take her to the table where he helps her sit. He clicks his fingers and within seconds their plates and glasses are filled.

"Severus, this is so beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome, my dear."

"So what's the special occasion? Our anniversary isn't for another three months."

"Can't I just do something romantic for the woman I love?" he responds back in a silky voice as he reaches for his glass of wine. She smiles and goes back to eating. Half way through dinner, Hermione begins to feel nauseous. She plays it off, not wanting to ruin the evening by having Severus worry about her.

"Dance with me?" he asks standing up from the table and extending his hand to her after dinner.

"It would be my pleasure," she says with a smile and takes his hand. With the snap of his fingers, the table disappears and a small dance floor replaces it. He gently wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him.

"Are you enjoying our evening?" he whispers in her ear.

"Yes, of course."

"Do you know why I decided to bring you here, out to this field, instead of holding our night at Hogwarts?"

"No, I don't."

"It was right here in this field that I realized what I fool I had been for not believing that you loved me. It was right here where I asked you for a second chance." She smiles into his neck despite having her nausea return, this time worse than the time before. "These last nine months have been the best of my life. I never want to go back to the time where I couldn't have you in my arms." He pulls back slightly to look her in the eyes. She looks at him, trying to hide the fact that she feels like she's going to be sick. "I love you, Hermione Fiona Granger." Severus reaches into his jacket to pull out a small box. He opens it up to reveal a beautiful diamond ring. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?" Hermione puts a hand to her mouth and races to the edge of the courtyard where she becomes sick.


	7. Another Surprise

Severus stands there shocked at her reaction to his proposal. He slams the box shut and shoves it back into his pocket. He thinks about apparating away, but stops when he hears Hermione call his name. His hurt and frustration is quickly replaced by concern as he races over to his love.

"Severus…"

"I'm here, Hermione," he says as he congers up a glass of water for her. She slumps against him and takes slow sips of her drink. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." He smiles as he runs a hand through her hair. "Yes, Severus."

"What?" he asks as she turns slightly to look at him.

"My answer to your proposal is yes," she says with a smile. He takes the box back out of his pocket and opens it again. He smiles as he takes her hand and slides the ring onto her finger. "I love you, Severus."

"I love you, too." Hermione kisses him tenderly then leans back against him becoming nauseous again. "Let's get you to Poppy." He gently picks her up in his arms and apparates them to the path that leads to Hogwarts. From there he carries her all the way to the hospital wing careful not to run into any students.

"Severus, what happened?" Poppy inquires as she hurries over to them.

"We were in the middle of eating dinner when she became nauseous and was sick."

"Well, put her down so I can examine her." He does what he's told to do then moves around to the other side of the bed to take Hermione's hand.

"I see congratulations are in order," Poppy comments with a smile when she sees the ring on Hermione's finger.

"Thank you," the couple says together.

"Now, Miss Granger, did your nausea start this evening or has it been going on for awhile?"

"Off and on over the last week." Poppy has a knowing smile on her face.

"Woman, what are you smiling about? Hermione's sick and you're smiling?" Severus screeches.

"Severus, calm down," Poppy scolds. "Miss Granger isn't dying or seriously ill."

"So, what's going on with me then?" Hermione asks puzzled.

"Now wait just a second. I need to ask you a few more questions." Poppy attempts to hide another smile but knows she's failed when she receives a scowl from Severus. "Are you and Severus involved in an intimate relationship?" Hermione looks at her wide-eyed while Severus has the classic deer caught in headlights look. He coughs as he tries to catch his breathe, then turns a lovely shade of pink and turns away from Poppy.

"Umm…yeah…," squeaks out Hermione.

"Have you had you cycle yet?" Hermione shakes her head no. "Are you feeling more tired than normal or taking more trips to the loo?"

"Yes…"

"Oh for crying out loud, woman, will you stop asking her questions and tell us what's wrong with her?" Severus demands. Poppy looks at him annoyed, but decides to stop beating around the bush.

"Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that Miss Granger is pregnant," she says with a satisfied smirk.

"Pregnant?" Hermione asks stunned.

"Pregnant? How in the world could she be pregnant?" Hermione whaps him across the shoulder.

"I'll be right back. I need to get the potion that will let us know if my suspicions are correct." Poppy walks away from the couple, chuckling to herself.

"How could you ask her that? You know full well how I could be pregnant. Your libido is like that of an adolescent boys." Severus puts his head in his hands.

"I…I'm sorry. It's just that…I'm shocked."

"So am I."

"A baby…" Hermione nods her head and takes his hand. "I'm going to be a father."

"Not so fast, Severus. We have yet to run the test," Poppy says as she holds up the vial of potion. He snarls back at her. "Here you go Miss Granger, drink this. It will take a few minutes to work. If you're pregnant, your abdomen will glow a bright white. It you're not, it will glow black." 

"Thank you," Hermione says softly.

"You're welcome, dear. I'll leave you to it then." Poppy gives Hermione's hand a squeeze before heading back to her office.

"Are you ready?" Hermione asks as he looks at her fiancé.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he drawls. She downs the potion in one gulp and tries to keep it from coming back up. They stare at her abdomen for what seems like an eternity.

"How long did she say it would take to work?" Hermione nervously inquires. Just as Severus is about to respond, they see the potion start working.

"I guess that answers our question."

"I guess it does…daddy." Severus looks down at Hermione's glowing bright white abdomen then back up to give her a romantic kiss. "You really weren't lying when you said tonight would be a night of surprises."

"No, I definitely wasn't."

"Oh would you look at that! The first baby to be born at Hogwarts in centuries!" Poppy exclaims happily as she slips back round the curtain that protects Hermione's bed from onlookers. "We haven't had anyone on staff young enough to have children except for Severus. None of us ever thought he'd- "

"Poppy, I suggest that you leave immediately," Severus says coldly. Hermione hits him again.

"Now, Severus. I simply came to give Miss Granger a potion for her nausea. Don't worry, it won't hurt the baby." She hands Hermione the vial and skips off to her office again.

"You realize that this will be all over the school by tomorrow morning," he says, again placing his head in his hands. She puts a finger under his chin, forcing him to look at her.

"I know. But how about we don't worry about that now and you take me to bed?"

"I like the sound of that," he says chuckling softly.


End file.
